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DNS

Record types

Every record your domain needs, explained

Edge DNS supports 12 record types: the standard set, plus ALIAS for pointing a root domain at a hostname. Here is what each one does, how to write it and where people trip up.
Open the explorerAdd your domain

Unlimited records per zone. TTLs from 30 seconds.

Record type explorer

Find the record for the job

Search by what you're trying to do, such as “email”, “certificate” or “root domain”, or browse by category. Each type links to a live lookup.
AWeb

Address (IPv4)

The record behind almost every website. Browsers ask for it first; the answer is the server they connect to. Add several A records for simple round-robin, or geo answers to send each region to its nearest origin.

Zone file

example.com.  300  IN  A  192.0.2.1

Edge zone editor

{ "name": "@", "data": "192.0.2.1", "ttl": 300,
  "geo": { "EU": "192.0.2.10", "AS": "192.0.2.20" } }
name
@ for the root, or a label like www or api
data
An IPv4 address
geo
Optional per-region answers
ttl
300s for most sites; 60s if you expect to move it soon.
geo-routing
Supported
  • Pair with AAAA for dual-stack IPv6 connectivity.
  • Multiple A records rotate, but aren't health-checked. A dead IP stays in rotation.
Look up a live A record

Edge extension

Point your root domain at a hostname

The DNS standard forbids a CNAME on example.com itself. ALIAS gets you the same result: Edge follows the target when a query arrives and returns its addresses as ordinary A and AAAA answers.
  • Root domain on a CDN or load balancer hostname
  • Answers track the target's addresses automatically
  • Resolvers and browsers see standard records
Records docs

Beyond the basics

Built for real zones, not demos

Bring a zone with hundreds of records, script changes from CI or edit everything at once as JSON.
  • Wildcard records (*.example.com)
  • Geo answers on A, AAAA and CNAME
  • Unlimited records per zone
  • BIND and JSON import and export
  • TTLs as low as 30 seconds
  • Full-zone JSON editor
  • REST API, CLI and agent tools
  • Daily zone backups with one-click restore
Import an existing zone
# Export from your current provider as BIND, then:
edge dns import zone-abc123 --file example.com.zone --format bind
Add records from the CLI
edge dns records add zone-abc123 \
  --type A --name @ --data 192.0.2.1 --ttl 300

edge dns records add zone-abc123 \
  --type MX --name @ --data mail.example.com --priority 10

edge dns records add zone-abc123 \
  --type TXT --name @ --data "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all"

FAQ

Record questions we hear most

Why can't I add a CNAME on my root domain?
The apex already holds SOA and NS records, and a CNAME can't share a name with anything else. Use an ALIAS record: it behaves like a CNAME but answers with plain addresses.
What TTL should I use?
300 seconds suits most records. Drop to 60 or 30 a day before a planned move so caches pick up the change quickly, then raise it again. Stable records like MX can sit at 3600 or more.
Can I manage SOA and apex NS records?
Edge generates both. The SOA serial updates on every change and the apex NS records always name your unique nameserver pair. You can add NS records on subdomains to delegate them elsewhere.
Which records support geo-routing?
A, AAAA and CNAME. Add answers per continent, country or sub-region; anything unmatched gets the default value.
How do I check a record is live?
Use the DNS Examiner lookup to query Google or Cloudflare's resolvers, or run dig against your Edge nameserver directly: dig @ns1-yourid.edge.network example.com A.

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